150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 14 - 20 JULY 1875
This week's many stories include three railway accidents in which two men and a child lost limbs, the violent assault on a constable in Peasley Cross Lane, the rationing of the town's water supply through shortages, a death down Gillars Green Colliery and the Newspaper hopes that the inhuman brutality for which St Helens was notorious had been checked.
We begin with Henry Turner who was summoned to the St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with violently assaulting a little boy named William Priestley. It was claimed that the child had lost his ball over Mr Turner's wall and on the following day he saw the man's little girl playing with it and so had asked her if he could have his ball back.
At that point Henry Turner appeared on the scene and was accused of pulling William by his hair, boxing his ears, knocking his head from side to side and then pushing the boy down onto his knees. It was then alleged that he had kicked William so severely that several neighbours had called out "shame".
However, the defence case was that Henry had intervened and "thrashed" the boy because he had been striking his daughter, although he denied having kicked the lad. Simply chastising the boy would have been considered quite acceptable but the Bench decided that the man had committed an aggravated assault and fined him £1 and costs.
The council's Water and Lighting Committee met on the 14th and the water shortage in the town was again discussed. The St Helens Chemical Works had written to complain about what was described as a "very deficient" supply of water with their men recently not being able to work in consequence. The council surveyor blamed the company's cistern at their works being at too high an elevation and said he had suggested to the firm that they should bring it down to ground level.
There often was an issue with getting water to high places in St Helens. A new water plant was going to be constructed but for the time being the committee said the supply had to be rationed. And so their surveyor was instructed to turn off the town's water supply, as far as possible at regular hours and try and let the public know the times in advance.
Gillars Green Colliery in Eccleston was situated in Burrows Lane, opposite Gillars Lane, and closed in 1883. During the evening of the 14th, Thomas Bibby, who had been involved in sinking a new shaft at the colliery, died in a somewhat mysterious fashion. The 22-year-old from Chapel Street in Prescot had been lowered down the shaft for the purpose of oiling the engine that had been pumping out water.
About two minutes afterwards Thomas was drawn up again. After that nothing more was heard of him until 6 am on the following morning when the pit sinkers went down the shaft. They found the young man's hat floating on the water and the engine still going. A search was made and Thomas's body was discovered in about 6 feet of water, the supposition being that after being drawn up Thomas had accidentally fallen down the shaft.
This week at the Kirkdale Quarter Sessions, Thomas Nicholl was found guilty of stealing four railway tickets from Sutton Oak Station (pictured above) and the 19-year-old was sentenced to a harsh punishment of 12 months imprisonment with hard labour.
Three railway accidents took place this week in which people lost limbs. The first occurred when John Mills was playing with other children near the Ravenhead Copper Works. The four-year-old had on several occasions been warned about climbing up the railway embankment but did not heed the advice and was struck by a passing engine.
The St Helens Newspaper described how Dr Gaskell had needed to amputate both of John's arms, adding: "The child lingered for some time between life and death, but we are glad to state that under Dr. Gaskell's skilful treatment, it has slowly rallied, and is now rapidly recovering, making wonderful use of both teeth and feet as substitute for its hands."
James Davis of Phythian Street was employed at Pilkington's St Helens Colliery and he needed to have an arm amputated by Dr Gaskell after walking on the railway line. The colliery underlooker attempted to cross the line between two waggons that were standing 2 feet apart, when an engine caught his arm as it was passing through.
He was dragged along some distance before the engine driver was made aware of what had occurred. James was taken home and then to the Cottage Hospital where he was said to have been making a favourable recovery.
Dr Gaskell had a third victim of a railway accident to treat when a platelayer named Houghton was run over by an engine. The man had attempted to get onto a loco while it was passing through Sutton Oak Station but he slipped and fell and the engine passed over his left leg, completely severing it below the knee. Dr Gaskell was sent for and Mr Houghton was conveyed to the Liverpool Infirmary.
Five men appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with violently assaulting and resisting PC Robert McKimm in Peasley Cross Lane. The incident had taken place at about 11 o’clock on Saturday night after the constable had been informed that a young man was punching an elderly man. That word in the 1870s usually meant kicking, rather than fighting with fists, with the latter generally referred to as striking.
Upon reaching the spot PC McKimm found the old man lying on the footpath and John Kelly was pointed out to him as the individual who had been giving him a kicking. But Kelly refused to provide the constable with his name and then began kicking the officer and also bit and struck him. Other men then joined in and the mob became so violent that PC McKimm had to draw his staff.
But Patrick McGlurty managed to wrestle it off the officer and bashed him on his head with it. Two bystanders helped the constable until three more policemen arrived and all five of the men were secured and taken to the police station. In court the magistrates told the five defendants that they considered it a very bad case and said they were determined to let such men as them know that the police must be protected in the exercise of their duty.
Usually attacking a policeman only merited a small fine, which was the penalty that was imposed on three of the men. But John Kelly and Patrick McGlurty were considered the worst offenders and they were both sentenced to two months hard labour.
On the 17th St Helens Cricket Club's annual Athletic Sports took place in Dentons Green. The weather was fine and there was a large attendance.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 17th published this brief piece: "The shameless and inhuman brutality for which St. Helens has become so notorious, has at length, we hope, met with a check. On Saturday night last two men named Grady and Tobin attacked a man named Ashcroft, shortly after eleven o’clock, in Tontine-street, and having knocked him down Grady “punched” him in the face with his clog, breaking away a portion of his right upper jawbone.
"The two ruffians were apprehended shortly afterwards, and brought before the magistrates, and committed for trial at the Kirkdale Sessions. On Wednesday they were tried, and Grady was sentenced to 5 years’ penal servitude, and Tobin to six months imprisonment with hard labour. The sentences following so quickly upon the brutal contact of these men, and while the facts of the case are fresh in the minds of the public, will, we hope, have a salutary effect in checking this kind of barbarity."
There were a number of private schools within the St Helens district with Rainford a popular venue. There was far less industry in the village and so the atmosphere was cleaner than in St Helens.
In this week's Newspaper there was an advert for Rookery House – in what became Rookery Lane – which was described as a boarding school for young ladies and "conducted by the Misses Barton". Term times in the 19th century were similar to the Scottish ones of today and the advert stated that their new term would resume on July 27th.
And finally, on the 18th the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev Fr O’Reilly, laid the foundation stone for a new Catholic chapel at Rainford. The weather was fine and large numbers of Catholics attended from St Helens, Liverpool, Ormskirk etc. Father Powell was the driving force behind the church, which would be dedicated to Corpus Christi.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the fire on a coal heap at Sutton Heath Colliery, the Parr Mount woman who wanted blood for supper, the Sutton Copper Works foreman's natal day and the Smithy Brow threat to scatter a man's brains.
We begin with Henry Turner who was summoned to the St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with violently assaulting a little boy named William Priestley. It was claimed that the child had lost his ball over Mr Turner's wall and on the following day he saw the man's little girl playing with it and so had asked her if he could have his ball back.
At that point Henry Turner appeared on the scene and was accused of pulling William by his hair, boxing his ears, knocking his head from side to side and then pushing the boy down onto his knees. It was then alleged that he had kicked William so severely that several neighbours had called out "shame".
However, the defence case was that Henry had intervened and "thrashed" the boy because he had been striking his daughter, although he denied having kicked the lad. Simply chastising the boy would have been considered quite acceptable but the Bench decided that the man had committed an aggravated assault and fined him £1 and costs.
The council's Water and Lighting Committee met on the 14th and the water shortage in the town was again discussed. The St Helens Chemical Works had written to complain about what was described as a "very deficient" supply of water with their men recently not being able to work in consequence. The council surveyor blamed the company's cistern at their works being at too high an elevation and said he had suggested to the firm that they should bring it down to ground level.
There often was an issue with getting water to high places in St Helens. A new water plant was going to be constructed but for the time being the committee said the supply had to be rationed. And so their surveyor was instructed to turn off the town's water supply, as far as possible at regular hours and try and let the public know the times in advance.
Gillars Green Colliery in Eccleston was situated in Burrows Lane, opposite Gillars Lane, and closed in 1883. During the evening of the 14th, Thomas Bibby, who had been involved in sinking a new shaft at the colliery, died in a somewhat mysterious fashion. The 22-year-old from Chapel Street in Prescot had been lowered down the shaft for the purpose of oiling the engine that had been pumping out water.
About two minutes afterwards Thomas was drawn up again. After that nothing more was heard of him until 6 am on the following morning when the pit sinkers went down the shaft. They found the young man's hat floating on the water and the engine still going. A search was made and Thomas's body was discovered in about 6 feet of water, the supposition being that after being drawn up Thomas had accidentally fallen down the shaft.
Three railway accidents took place this week in which people lost limbs. The first occurred when John Mills was playing with other children near the Ravenhead Copper Works. The four-year-old had on several occasions been warned about climbing up the railway embankment but did not heed the advice and was struck by a passing engine.
The St Helens Newspaper described how Dr Gaskell had needed to amputate both of John's arms, adding: "The child lingered for some time between life and death, but we are glad to state that under Dr. Gaskell's skilful treatment, it has slowly rallied, and is now rapidly recovering, making wonderful use of both teeth and feet as substitute for its hands."
James Davis of Phythian Street was employed at Pilkington's St Helens Colliery and he needed to have an arm amputated by Dr Gaskell after walking on the railway line. The colliery underlooker attempted to cross the line between two waggons that were standing 2 feet apart, when an engine caught his arm as it was passing through.
He was dragged along some distance before the engine driver was made aware of what had occurred. James was taken home and then to the Cottage Hospital where he was said to have been making a favourable recovery.
Dr Gaskell had a third victim of a railway accident to treat when a platelayer named Houghton was run over by an engine. The man had attempted to get onto a loco while it was passing through Sutton Oak Station but he slipped and fell and the engine passed over his left leg, completely severing it below the knee. Dr Gaskell was sent for and Mr Houghton was conveyed to the Liverpool Infirmary.
Five men appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with violently assaulting and resisting PC Robert McKimm in Peasley Cross Lane. The incident had taken place at about 11 o’clock on Saturday night after the constable had been informed that a young man was punching an elderly man. That word in the 1870s usually meant kicking, rather than fighting with fists, with the latter generally referred to as striking.
Upon reaching the spot PC McKimm found the old man lying on the footpath and John Kelly was pointed out to him as the individual who had been giving him a kicking. But Kelly refused to provide the constable with his name and then began kicking the officer and also bit and struck him. Other men then joined in and the mob became so violent that PC McKimm had to draw his staff.
But Patrick McGlurty managed to wrestle it off the officer and bashed him on his head with it. Two bystanders helped the constable until three more policemen arrived and all five of the men were secured and taken to the police station. In court the magistrates told the five defendants that they considered it a very bad case and said they were determined to let such men as them know that the police must be protected in the exercise of their duty.
Usually attacking a policeman only merited a small fine, which was the penalty that was imposed on three of the men. But John Kelly and Patrick McGlurty were considered the worst offenders and they were both sentenced to two months hard labour.
On the 17th St Helens Cricket Club's annual Athletic Sports took place in Dentons Green. The weather was fine and there was a large attendance.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 17th published this brief piece: "The shameless and inhuman brutality for which St. Helens has become so notorious, has at length, we hope, met with a check. On Saturday night last two men named Grady and Tobin attacked a man named Ashcroft, shortly after eleven o’clock, in Tontine-street, and having knocked him down Grady “punched” him in the face with his clog, breaking away a portion of his right upper jawbone.
"The two ruffians were apprehended shortly afterwards, and brought before the magistrates, and committed for trial at the Kirkdale Sessions. On Wednesday they were tried, and Grady was sentenced to 5 years’ penal servitude, and Tobin to six months imprisonment with hard labour. The sentences following so quickly upon the brutal contact of these men, and while the facts of the case are fresh in the minds of the public, will, we hope, have a salutary effect in checking this kind of barbarity."
There were a number of private schools within the St Helens district with Rainford a popular venue. There was far less industry in the village and so the atmosphere was cleaner than in St Helens.
In this week's Newspaper there was an advert for Rookery House – in what became Rookery Lane – which was described as a boarding school for young ladies and "conducted by the Misses Barton". Term times in the 19th century were similar to the Scottish ones of today and the advert stated that their new term would resume on July 27th.
And finally, on the 18th the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev Fr O’Reilly, laid the foundation stone for a new Catholic chapel at Rainford. The weather was fine and large numbers of Catholics attended from St Helens, Liverpool, Ormskirk etc. Father Powell was the driving force behind the church, which would be dedicated to Corpus Christi.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the fire on a coal heap at Sutton Heath Colliery, the Parr Mount woman who wanted blood for supper, the Sutton Copper Works foreman's natal day and the Smithy Brow threat to scatter a man's brains.
This week's many stories include three railway accidents in which two men and a child lost limbs, the violent assault on a constable in Peasley Cross Lane, the rationing of the town's water supply through shortages, a death down Gillars Green Colliery and the Newspaper hopes that the inhuman brutality for which St Helens was notorious had been checked.
We begin with Henry Turner who was summoned to the St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with violently assaulting a little boy named William Priestley.
It was claimed that the child had lost his ball over Mr Turner's wall and on the following day he saw the man's little girl playing with it and so had asked her if he could have his ball back.
At that point Henry Turner appeared on the scene and was accused of pulling William by his hair, boxing his ears, knocking his head from side to side and then pushing the boy down onto his knees.
It was then alleged that he had kicked William so severely that several neighbours had called out "shame".
However, the defence case was that Henry had intervened and "thrashed" the boy because he had been striking his daughter, although he denied having kicked the lad.
Simply chastising the boy would have been considered quite acceptable but the Bench decided that the man had committed an aggravated assault and fined him £1 and costs.
The council's Water and Lighting Committee met on the 14th and the water shortage in the town was again discussed.
The St Helens Chemical Works had written to complain about what was described as a "very deficient" supply of water with their men recently not being able to work in consequence.
The council surveyor blamed the company's cistern at their works being at too high an elevation and said he had suggested to the firm that they should bring it down to ground level.
There often was an issue with getting water to high places in St Helens. A new water plant was going to be constructed but for the time being the committee said the supply had to be rationed.
And so their surveyor was instructed to turn off the town's water supply, as far as possible at regular hours and try and let the public know the times in advance.
Gillars Green Colliery in Eccleston was situated in Burrows Lane, opposite Gillars Lane, and closed in 1883.
During the evening of the 14th, Thomas Bibby, who had been involved in sinking a new shaft at the colliery, died in a somewhat mysterious fashion.
The 22-year-old from Chapel Street in Prescot had been lowered down the shaft for the purpose of oiling the engine that had been pumping out water.
About two minutes afterwards Thomas was drawn up again. After that nothing more was heard of him until 6 am on the following morning when the pit sinkers went down the shaft.
They found the young man's hat floating on the water and the engine still going.
A search was made and Thomas's body was discovered in about 6 feet of water, the supposition being that after being drawn up Thomas had accidentally fallen down the shaft.
This week at the Kirkdale Quarter Sessions, Thomas Nicholl was found guilty of stealing four railway tickets from Sutton Oak Station and the 19-year-old was sentenced to a harsh punishment of 12 months imprisonment with hard labour.
Three railway accidents took place this week in which people lost limbs.
The first occurred when John Mills was playing with other children near the Ravenhead Copper Works.
The four-year-old had on several occasions been warned about climbing up the railway embankment but did not heed the advice and was struck by a passing engine.
The St Helens Newspaper described how Dr Gaskell had needed to amputate both of John's arms, adding:
"The child lingered for some time between life and death, but we are glad to state that under Dr. Gaskell's skilful treatment, it has slowly rallied, and is now rapidly recovering, making wonderful use of both teeth and feet as substitute for its hands."
James Davis of Phythian Street was employed at Pilkington's St Helens Colliery and he needed to have an arm amputated by Dr Gaskell after walking on the railway line.
The colliery underlooker attempted to cross the line between two waggons that were standing 2 feet apart, when an engine caught his arm as it was passing through.
He was dragged along some distance before the engine driver was made aware of what had occurred.
James was taken home and then to the Cottage Hospital where he was said to have been making a favourable recovery.
Dr Gaskell had a third victim of a railway accident to treat when a platelayer named Houghton was run over by an engine.
The man had attempted to get onto a loco while it was passing through Sutton Oak Station (pictured above) but he slipped and fell and the engine passed over his left leg, completely severing it below the knee.
Dr Gaskell was sent for and Mr Houghton was conveyed to the Liverpool Infirmary.
Five men appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with violently assaulting and resisting PC Robert McKimm in Peasley Cross Lane.
The incident had taken place at about 11 o’clock on Saturday night after the constable had been informed that a young man was punching an elderly man.
That word in the 1870s usually meant kicking, rather than fighting with fists, with the latter generally referred to as striking.
Upon reaching the spot PC McKimm found the old man lying on the footpath and John Kelly was pointed out to him as the individual who had been giving him a kicking.
But Kelly refused to provide the constable with his name and then began kicking the officer and also bit and struck him.
Other men then joined in and the mob became so violent that PC McKimm had to draw his staff.
But Patrick McGlurty managed to wrestle it off the officer and bashed him on his head with it.
Two bystanders helped the constable until three more policemen arrived and all five of the men were secured and taken to the police station.
In court the magistrates told the five defendants that they considered it a very bad case and said they were determined to let such men as them know that the police must be protected in the exercise of their duty.
Usually attacking a policeman only merited a small fine, which was the penalty that was imposed on three of the men.
But John Kelly and Patrick McGlurty were considered the worst offenders and they were both sentenced to two months hard labour.
On the 17th St Helens Cricket Club's annual Athletic Sports took place in Dentons Green. The weather was fine and there was a large attendance.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 17th published this brief piece:
"The shameless and inhuman brutality for which St. Helens has become so notorious, has at length, we hope, met with a check.
"On Saturday night last two men named Grady and Tobin attacked a man named Ashcroft, shortly after eleven o’clock, in Tontine-street, and having knocked him down Grady “punched” him in the face with his clog, breaking away a portion of his right upper jawbone.
"The two ruffians were apprehended shortly afterwards, and brought before the magistrates, and committed for trial at the Kirkdale Sessions. On Wednesday they were tried, and Grady was sentenced to 5 years’ penal servitude, and Tobin to six months imprisonment with hard labour.
"The sentences following so quickly upon the brutal contact of these men, and while the facts of the case are fresh in the minds of the public, will, we hope, have a salutary effect in checking this kind of barbarity."
There were a number of private schools within the St Helens district with Rainford a popular venue.
There was far less industry in the village and so the atmosphere was cleaner than in St Helens.
In this week's Newspaper there was an advert for Rookery House – in what became Rookery Lane – which was described as a boarding school for young ladies and "conducted by the Misses Barton".
Term times in the 19th century were similar to the Scottish ones of today and the advert stated that their new term would resume on July 27th.
And finally, on the 18th the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev Fr O’Reilly, laid the foundation stone for a new Catholic chapel at Rainford.
The weather was fine and large numbers of Catholics attended from St Helens, Liverpool, Ormskirk etc.
Father Powell was the driving force behind the church, which would be dedicated to Corpus Christi.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the fire on a coal heap at Sutton Heath Colliery, the Parr Mount woman who wanted blood for supper, the Sutton Copper Works foreman's natal day and the Smithy Brow threat to scatter a man's brains.
We begin with Henry Turner who was summoned to the St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with violently assaulting a little boy named William Priestley.
It was claimed that the child had lost his ball over Mr Turner's wall and on the following day he saw the man's little girl playing with it and so had asked her if he could have his ball back.
At that point Henry Turner appeared on the scene and was accused of pulling William by his hair, boxing his ears, knocking his head from side to side and then pushing the boy down onto his knees.
It was then alleged that he had kicked William so severely that several neighbours had called out "shame".
However, the defence case was that Henry had intervened and "thrashed" the boy because he had been striking his daughter, although he denied having kicked the lad.
Simply chastising the boy would have been considered quite acceptable but the Bench decided that the man had committed an aggravated assault and fined him £1 and costs.
The council's Water and Lighting Committee met on the 14th and the water shortage in the town was again discussed.
The St Helens Chemical Works had written to complain about what was described as a "very deficient" supply of water with their men recently not being able to work in consequence.
The council surveyor blamed the company's cistern at their works being at too high an elevation and said he had suggested to the firm that they should bring it down to ground level.
There often was an issue with getting water to high places in St Helens. A new water plant was going to be constructed but for the time being the committee said the supply had to be rationed.
And so their surveyor was instructed to turn off the town's water supply, as far as possible at regular hours and try and let the public know the times in advance.
Gillars Green Colliery in Eccleston was situated in Burrows Lane, opposite Gillars Lane, and closed in 1883.
During the evening of the 14th, Thomas Bibby, who had been involved in sinking a new shaft at the colliery, died in a somewhat mysterious fashion.
The 22-year-old from Chapel Street in Prescot had been lowered down the shaft for the purpose of oiling the engine that had been pumping out water.
About two minutes afterwards Thomas was drawn up again. After that nothing more was heard of him until 6 am on the following morning when the pit sinkers went down the shaft.
They found the young man's hat floating on the water and the engine still going.
A search was made and Thomas's body was discovered in about 6 feet of water, the supposition being that after being drawn up Thomas had accidentally fallen down the shaft.
This week at the Kirkdale Quarter Sessions, Thomas Nicholl was found guilty of stealing four railway tickets from Sutton Oak Station and the 19-year-old was sentenced to a harsh punishment of 12 months imprisonment with hard labour.
Three railway accidents took place this week in which people lost limbs.
The first occurred when John Mills was playing with other children near the Ravenhead Copper Works.
The four-year-old had on several occasions been warned about climbing up the railway embankment but did not heed the advice and was struck by a passing engine.
The St Helens Newspaper described how Dr Gaskell had needed to amputate both of John's arms, adding:
"The child lingered for some time between life and death, but we are glad to state that under Dr. Gaskell's skilful treatment, it has slowly rallied, and is now rapidly recovering, making wonderful use of both teeth and feet as substitute for its hands."
James Davis of Phythian Street was employed at Pilkington's St Helens Colliery and he needed to have an arm amputated by Dr Gaskell after walking on the railway line.
The colliery underlooker attempted to cross the line between two waggons that were standing 2 feet apart, when an engine caught his arm as it was passing through.
He was dragged along some distance before the engine driver was made aware of what had occurred.
James was taken home and then to the Cottage Hospital where he was said to have been making a favourable recovery.
Dr Gaskell had a third victim of a railway accident to treat when a platelayer named Houghton was run over by an engine.
Dr Gaskell was sent for and Mr Houghton was conveyed to the Liverpool Infirmary.
Five men appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with violently assaulting and resisting PC Robert McKimm in Peasley Cross Lane.
The incident had taken place at about 11 o’clock on Saturday night after the constable had been informed that a young man was punching an elderly man.
That word in the 1870s usually meant kicking, rather than fighting with fists, with the latter generally referred to as striking.
Upon reaching the spot PC McKimm found the old man lying on the footpath and John Kelly was pointed out to him as the individual who had been giving him a kicking.
But Kelly refused to provide the constable with his name and then began kicking the officer and also bit and struck him.
Other men then joined in and the mob became so violent that PC McKimm had to draw his staff.
But Patrick McGlurty managed to wrestle it off the officer and bashed him on his head with it.
Two bystanders helped the constable until three more policemen arrived and all five of the men were secured and taken to the police station.
In court the magistrates told the five defendants that they considered it a very bad case and said they were determined to let such men as them know that the police must be protected in the exercise of their duty.
Usually attacking a policeman only merited a small fine, which was the penalty that was imposed on three of the men.
But John Kelly and Patrick McGlurty were considered the worst offenders and they were both sentenced to two months hard labour.
On the 17th St Helens Cricket Club's annual Athletic Sports took place in Dentons Green. The weather was fine and there was a large attendance.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 17th published this brief piece:
"The shameless and inhuman brutality for which St. Helens has become so notorious, has at length, we hope, met with a check.
"On Saturday night last two men named Grady and Tobin attacked a man named Ashcroft, shortly after eleven o’clock, in Tontine-street, and having knocked him down Grady “punched” him in the face with his clog, breaking away a portion of his right upper jawbone.
"The two ruffians were apprehended shortly afterwards, and brought before the magistrates, and committed for trial at the Kirkdale Sessions. On Wednesday they were tried, and Grady was sentenced to 5 years’ penal servitude, and Tobin to six months imprisonment with hard labour.
"The sentences following so quickly upon the brutal contact of these men, and while the facts of the case are fresh in the minds of the public, will, we hope, have a salutary effect in checking this kind of barbarity."
There were a number of private schools within the St Helens district with Rainford a popular venue.
There was far less industry in the village and so the atmosphere was cleaner than in St Helens.
In this week's Newspaper there was an advert for Rookery House – in what became Rookery Lane – which was described as a boarding school for young ladies and "conducted by the Misses Barton".
Term times in the 19th century were similar to the Scottish ones of today and the advert stated that their new term would resume on July 27th.
And finally, on the 18th the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev Fr O’Reilly, laid the foundation stone for a new Catholic chapel at Rainford.
The weather was fine and large numbers of Catholics attended from St Helens, Liverpool, Ormskirk etc.
Father Powell was the driving force behind the church, which would be dedicated to Corpus Christi.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the fire on a coal heap at Sutton Heath Colliery, the Parr Mount woman who wanted blood for supper, the Sutton Copper Works foreman's natal day and the Smithy Brow threat to scatter a man's brains.